Michael Grace, Jr. : Songs, a little singing, farfisa. Lisa Ronson: Singing, hereditary metaphysics. Darren Amadio: Guitar Anti-heroism. Tod Karasik: Drum Anti-heroism. Kurt Brondo: Things with keys, buttons, fuses. Gil Abad: Bass guitar, continentialism. Erin Dermody: Singing, long-distance running. With special guest Audrey Morse on violin.
Influences
The Us we never knew. The Us we know too well.
Sounds Like
What critics have said about the past songs of Michael Grace Jr.
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This is music that matters to me. The songs have become requirements; Grace's obsessions suddenly seem to have become mine. The alien, the girl or boy "differing in nature or character typically to the point of incompatibility," to quote Webster's. This band reflects an amalgamation, of sounds and styles while all the while retaining an awareness of the awkwardness of youth. Each single track is better than most bands' entire album
-Ink 19
This pristine, heartbreaking panorama of teenage wastelands past and future is no mope-fest: tight instrumentation and clever lyrics give it a near-lethal bite and snap.
-Gear
When Belle and Sebastian recently performed in New York, the Scottish popsters specifically requested the presence of one band to open the show. Nope, it wasn't Hall & Oates, but good guess. It was the Long Island ensemble called My Favorite. It's really no surprise that B&S would be drawn to the chirpy pop melodies and dark, quixotic lyrics, and titles that could even make Morrissey smile...
-Boston Globe
Their "nostalgia for meaningful things," which includes black anoraks and synthesized strings, creates enough distance from the music's initial inspiration to block the pain and allow them to bask in the unmitigated joy of melodies well-delivered.
-Rolling Stone.com
Stage noir with silent dialogue that tells you high school is death and pop songs are the afterlife. And beyond this, that pop music is a kind of purgatory truth: There's no half-allegiances here--you were born to die a teenager. Be a ghost or be boring.
-Twin City Pages
Poetic themes find their perfect companion in a glorious concoction of arching, melancholy synth lines, arpeggiated '80s guitar melodies, and wistful, cooing vocals. A loving tribute to fallen idols...
-The Big Takeover
Songwriter Michael Grace delivers themes of isolation and alienation matched with upbeat tunes and sweet voices...creating a pleasantly ironic group of songs that suggest dejected suburban dwelling can inspire beauty.
-Boston Weekly
With a firm focus on melody and dance mechanics, the group has built themselves quite a following... in a time when monstrous hordes of new wave bands are springing up from the ground like potatoes wearing sunglasses, it's important to be able to recognize what made new wave so important to begin with, and why it's worth drawing upon.
-Splendid e-zine
The Secret History was formed in 2007 by ex MY FAVORITE singer/songwriter Michael Grace Jr., and his decade long collaborators; guitarist Darren Amadio, bassist Gil Abad, drummer Tod Karasik, and keyboardist Kurt Brondo. My Favorite were a band occasionally deeply loved by the kids and their own heroes alike.
The roots of The Secret History grew out of the ashes of that previous project, as did the loosely thematic group of songs Grace wrote revolving around a fictional rock group called The Haunted Hearts, which may or may not be composed entirely of ghosts. The Secret History crystallized when Grace met Lisa Ronson, coming together at an Irish pub in the East Village called 'The Scratcher,' with the third verse of "Desolation Row" echoing through the bar. She had answered an ad in The Village Voice seeking a 'Female Voice/Tragic Cult Figure.' Her dad was the greatest Spider from Mars, and that was tragic enough, but it was the voice...and everything desperate just under the surface of it...that convinced us. The addition of Erin Dermody, an ethereal young lady in a dress singing harmonies, completed the band. Together they are creating a new form of continental art rock, drawing from the jangles of rainy Manchester, the stomp of glam, the innocence of the girl groups, and the anxiety of disco. They have been playing riotous shows in the vivid shadows of Brooklyn and Manhattan whilst finishing up a debut recording for Spring release.
A TREE IS KNOWN BY ITS FRUIT FROM THE TIPS OF ITS LEAVES DOWN TO ITS DEEPEST ROOTS INCORRUPTIBLE AND TRUE LESS IT WITHERS AND DIES, DARK GROUND OF HISTORY
To The Secret History and friends, Please take a moment to sign the Mick Ronson 'Rock and Roll Hall of Fame' petition to have Mick inducted. "LET YOUR VOICE BE SEEN", cheers
Sadly, I got sick and had to miss the show, which then resulted in me being further sick with disappointment. But, nothing less than a severed appendage will keep me from the next one. If I miss it I will burn all my original-pressing Elvis Costello and Orange Juice albums... and you know I don't want to do that.
I'll be at the show, Michael. I know there will be greatness. (You'll want to kill me for this, but) you are really the folk hero come home. I know..but don't hate me. I've always thought you were the creative genius behind it all. And, hey, who's show am I coming to see? Yes indeed, sir. I hope you'll keep making brilliant music. I'll surely always keep listening.
